A Teacup Full of Stories

Long words, in the pause between two breaths,

Twisting like wild-fire, scalding, burning to be said,

To writhe like sea-serpents upon a now-stilled tongue,

Dodging icebergs of teeth and trying desperately to break free from barred lips,

Stone lungs;

Circling in an ever swirling vortex of indecision buried deep inside,

There those phrases hide and beat upon their cage of ribs

Begging to be unleashed and set upon the world; but still

This silent war lies locked behind a barrier

Of what ifs and maybes, buts, a pounding of possibilities

Mark their path to freedom, and all the twists and turns of a troubled mind;

All this, in the moment between two voices,

And a barrier of ‘I’m fine.’